Jalen Huskey closes out day two of NFL Draft, selected by Jaguars

Ahmed Ghafir
9 minutes ago
2 min read

For the second consecutive year, a Terp heard his name called to end day two of the draft.

The Jacksonville Jaguars used the 100th overall selection in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft on former Maryland safety Jalen Huskey, becoming the seventh Maryland defensive back to be drafted since 2020 after Antoine Brooks, Nick Cross, Deonte Banks, Jakorian Bennett, Tarheeb Still and Dante Trader Jr.

The news also comes after former Maryland wide receiver Tai Felton became the final pick of the 2025 NFL Draft when the Minnesota Vikings selected the speedster with the 100th overall pick.

It marks a big move for Huskey, who now becomes the lone Terp in Jacksonville as head coach Liam Coen will look to guide his team back into the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

After arriving as a cornerback, Huskey transitioned to safety midway through the 2024 season before blossoming into an NFL prospect during spring ball ahead of his senior year.

In 2025, Huskey garnered Second Team All-Big Ten honors in his final season with the Terps. He appeared in all 12 games with 11 starts, helping Maryland record its most interceptions since 2010. Huskey totaled four interceptions — tied for the team lead, tied for fourth in the Big Ten and tied for 16th nationally — while adding 72 tackles, second on the team and sixth-most among conference defensive backs. He also participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl in January.

“He’s a guy that’s played corner at a very high level when we brought him here and then he’s a safety that has skills that allows him to kind of be a slot nickel, safety, maybe a corner in a pinch,” head coach Mike Locksley said of Huskey. “That versatility are things that we try to teach.”

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